Value: 9

Casting Quality: 7

Detail: 9

Accuracy: 10

Parts Fit: 10

Ease: 8

Instructions: 5 - it's the somewhat fuzzy hand drawn pictures that did that

Overall Rating: 9 This is the best Star Wars model available anywhere.

TheY-Wing first sold by SMT (no longer; the molds belong to an outfit called Idea Factory) is a very accurate and nicely detailed replica of the original studio model. Basic info about what you get and how it looks was covered in the in-box preview report, so I won't go into it here.

Some parts did not mold well and were replaced by stock plastic. The main nose guns were re-built from telescoping plastic tube, as were the ion cannon barrels. The cockpit was dressed up by shaving off the side console control panels and re-casting new ones with much crisper detail. The seat was detailed with a flight harness and buckles. Exposed pipes and conduit on the exterior were replicated by bending different diameters of brass wire.

When gluing the engine pods onto the fuselage, great care must be taken to make sure the engines are properly lined up. Any small mis-alignment will be magnified when the extensions and vectrals are glued in place.

The weakest point on the model is the front landing gear. Being just a single, long thin piece of resin, it flexes when the weight of the model is rested on it. The only way to overcome this is to glue the model to a base and glue the front gear in a position where it is not flexed. The majority of the model's weight is supported by the sturdy main gear under each engine pod so the front gear will not break unless unless forced down.

Overall construction time was 37 hours with another 8 hours total devoted to painting. This does'nt include the 3 days it took for the oil wash to dry .

I would recommend this model for any modeler experienced in building resin kits, with plenty of room left for the advanced modeller to add lots of extra detailing. This kit is no longer being made by SMT, though it may be issued in the future by Idea Factory In the meantime, you may be able to find them here and there at places like JF Green Models.